Napoleon: Total War AU Impressions

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An interview and preview in one handy feature! Je suis Napoleon!

By Christian Read

There is really only one name when it comes to historical strategy games and that's the Total War series. Since 2000, Creative Assembly has released a dependable stream of quality games, impeccably researched, with state-of-the-art gameplay.

Napoleon is the latest of these and seems to be the one most willing to gamble with a winning formula. This isn't a huge break from the games that have come before but it does make a few risky changes. See, Total War: Napoleon has a sense of narrative and a focus on story and on characters we've not seen before.

Kieran Brigden, Creative Assembly's Communication's Manager, explains, 'We are focusing on characters for the first time. We are telling the story of the destiny of France.' And well he might. A few years back it was fashionable to make fun of the French and their wartime adventures but anyone who knows a little history can tell you that once France, under one supremely gifted general, brought Europe to its knees.

The way the remarkable Emperor Napoleon's story is told to us is through new single-player campaigns as well as gameplay. The Italian campaign in 1796 and the Egyptian campaign in 1798 are the major focuses, culminating with the 'Mastery of Europe', which will see you tell the story of how Napoleon came close to ruling half the world. 'Of course, this is still a Total War game. You can play out the campaigns historically, in order, or you can make history something unrecognisable.'

Ever seen a man take a cannonball in the stomach? It's not a pretty sight.

Gameplay also changes to accommodate this focus on generals. Just as Napoleon broke the rules of war, disdained 'fighting like a gentleman' and led troops from the front, General units have considerable roles to play on the battlefield. They are now powerful units in their own right, with buffing powers. Brigden demonstrates, showing off the snowy plain of Austerlitz, where Napoleon won one of his greatest victories. His Austrian generals are atop a hill but quickly move where they are needed, supporting morale of beleaguered troops, activating traps and demonstrating other powers.

He sends a crack team of dragoons on a seek-and-destroy mission, looking for Napoleon himself. Finding him, the French general is killed and the invading armies quickly fold up. 'When a general dies on the battlefield, we call him critically wounded and he goes back to Paris. That means the French will be at a strategic disadvantage for a while in this campaign. So you have to use your general, it's to your benefit, but you must also protect him. He's a big target.' Graphically, this is represented by a blue sphere of influence, allowing you to easily tell precisely the limits of your boss man's control. Certain generals have particular skills and should be carefully matched up with who they best suit. 'They also learn their own worth, sadly.' Kieran shakes his head. 'If they succeed a few times, they may start asking for pay rises.'

The Warscape physics engine has been tweaked as well, focusing on conditions within Napoleonic times and war. Topography and terrain are enormously important considerations when planning a battle. Kieran Brigden demonstrates a cannon barrage, which blows huge chunks out of the battlefield, forcing the enemy troops to advance through a black and smoking gouge in the ground. 'They'll be nervous now, lower morale.'

Napoleon surveys the battlefield, reproduced to exacting detail.

High ground, weather - all of these things affect combat conditions, the morale of troops and their ability to fight. Taking the high ground, matching troop types against enemy units they have bonuses against, everything contributes to a battle. With over 350 kinds of units available, it's not simply a game of rock, paper, scissors. 'A new addition to the game is the ability to troops to become veterans in the middle of battles. In previous versions of the game, that happened between battles. That now occurs in the middle of a game.'

While explaining all this, particle effects go to work. The engine overhaul has made them look not only visually arresting but a vital part of gameplay. There is smoke and explosions, coats flap in the breeze and eyes of soldiers catch the glare of the sun. Snowfall and dust kicked up by marching boots not only look incredible but also have a very real game effect on line of sight issue. With ten thousand possible troops present on any given battlefield, you can imagine the incredible level of detail. Closing in on a vicious melee battle as the Prussians and French fall to bayonet combat at close quarter, a Frenchman is pulled from his horse and stabbed. A Prussian dragoon is shot from his saddle while his horse charges on. Moments later, the horse, too, falls to musket shot, trips and dies. The whole thing is spectacular to watch.